By George, It's Love!
by ocean777
Summary: Charlotte Gallagher is a seventh year at Hogwarts. The last thing she is expecting is to feel an unfamiliar kind of tension and undiscovered caring for that red-headed jokester. Especially when she has classes to focus on..Oh come on, who are we kidding.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! Welcome to my story of **_**loooooove**_**. I can promise you there will be plenty of romance as well as all the other emotions that are important in a story. I hope you like it! Remember to help me out and Revieww! Thanks. You rock.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only the things that came out of my own imagination.**

**Chapter 1: Back to School**

"_Moooom,_" I whined, "I can take care of myself. You don't need to have control of everything I do."

I was exasperated. My mother just doesn't know when to stop. Packing up and getting ready to leave for King's Cross Station was bittersweet, because it's my last year there. I can't believe after this one short year I'll be out in the real world, entering the wizarding work force! I also can't believe that I'll never get to play another game of Quidditch on the Gryffindor team. That team is like my family. I couldn't live without them no matter if I couldn't stand them sometimes. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie are my best mates. We are all so different, but we somehow get along better because of it. I reminisced on some good ol' memories while I finished packing my trunk and took it downstairs where my mom was fussing over my older brother, Robby, who was visiting for a couple days. He is 24 and is married to his Hogwarts sweetheart, Carla.

"Alright, let's go. Are you all ready? Do you have your trunk? Your owl? What about your books, Charlotte, do you have all your school supplies?" Mom was just a little high-strung.

"Yup, I got everything I need and I already triple checked everything," I reassured her, dragging my things across the carpet towards the front door.

"Your wand, honey? Did you remember your school robes? What about-" she followed me hot on my neck out to the car where dad was waiting for me.

"_Yes _mom, I have everything! Ok, I'm leaving now! See ya at Christmas!" I interrupted and tried to look sad that I was leaving, even though I was exuberant to get away from my parents.

"Well, ok then, just owl me if you need anything. You know I am always here to proofread your essays or send you something you might have forgotten, ok? I love you!" She gave me a big hug and I finally got in the car.

"Love you too, mom. Bye!" I grinned and shut the door, safe from her overbearing protectiveness for a little while, at least. She stood in the driveway and waved as my dad backed the car out and drove out of sight down our quaint little street.

"Aaaaaah," I sighed and smiled.

"Don't worry, Char, I won't smother you when we say goodbye," my dad said.

I laughed, "Thanks, dad."

We had pleasant conversation until we finally reached King's Cross and we discretely crossed over to platform 9 3/4. I saw the steam of the Hogwarts Express clear away briefly and then caught a brief glimpse of the shiny red paint before I was nearly tackled by three bodies and lots of hair, accompanied by lots of high pitched screaming. There was only one explanation for this. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie. Provided, Alicia probably was contributing most to the screaming part.

"Hey guys! I am so happy to see you! The summer was nearly unbearable without you!" I couldn't help but laugh when their faces finally came into view. I probably mirrored their frenzied expressions. I continued to talk and then remembered I still had to say bye to my dad who was standing quietly behind me, watching with a smile. I pulled away from the girls and turned around and gave him a big hug.

"Well, I'll see you in a couple months, Dad. Make sure mom doesn't go crazy while I'm gone- you know all the talking is going to be directed towards you now, right?" I felt bad for him, having to be alone with my mom until Christmas.

He laughed "Oh don't worry I can take it. I'm sure she'll fuss over Robby and Carla while they're still visiting. Robby doesn't have to get back to work for another two weeks."

"Oh, right, right. Well, good luck anyway. I love you!" I said.

"I love you too honey, have fun at school and don't get into too much trouble! You know I hate getting letters reporting detentions. Don't let those Weasley twins influence you too much."

"I'm not sure there is much we can do about that, Dad," I joked, "but I'll try to stay away from detentions as much as possible."

"Ok, well you're friends are waiting for you. Score a few points for me on the pitch, will ya?"

"Of course. Bye!" I hugged him one last time before following my friends onto the steaming train.

I sat down next to Alicia in the compartment with Angie and Katie. Alicia was going through a _Witch Weekly_ magazine and was reading her horoscope out loud to Katie.

"It says here that you should avoid conflict and drama because the wrackspurts in your head will be off kilter because of it..." Alicia laughed and Katie made a face.

"What else does that magazine have to say? The horoscopes are always so ridiculous," I said, stealing the magazine form Alicia. "Oh hey! look, It says in my horoscope that only good things will come out of the color orange in my life this month...Like I said...ridiculous."

Alicia snatched the magazine back and the train jumped forward, the whistle blowing its farewell to the platform. All the first and second year students' parents looked tearful and sad, but everybody else left waving goodbye looked jubilant and relieved.

"Anyway, how was your guys' summers?" Katie asked us.

"_Well_, I met this boy, Fabio, at the coffee shop near my house in June..." Alicia immediately started.

Angie rolled her eyes, "Only you, Alicia, only you."

"What? It was just a fun summer fling!" She defended herself, looking affronted.

"I know! So how many other boys did you have flings with this summer?"

"Not a lot, actually. Well there was Fabio, like I said. He's from Spain! I couldn't really understand what he was saying most of the time, but we had no problem with body language, if you know what I mean... Then there was Matt, typical boy next door. I met him after Fabio went back to Spain in July. Matt was the tall blonde football star. He had the best legs I've ever seen, and that's saying something! When I went on visit my Aunt Julie in Oxford, I met William. Will was quite suave. One time, when we were in the muggle theater, I didn't even know what the movie was about because he was demonstrating this fantastic thing with his tongue. It was amazing. He kind of-"

"Hello ladies!" The compartment door swung open and there were Fred and George, with their ever present grins displayed across their faces.

"Angelina! You look divinely exquisite, as always," Fred bowed low and tried to kiss Angie's hand, which she promptly took back and she snorted as it dove back into her box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Yes. She is the epitome of a lady.

"Alicia! Enchante," George said with a throaty french accent and his nose pointed up.

"Mutual, I'm sure," she replied haughtily as if she were a rich, fat lady covered in a fluffy fur coat, carrying a seemingly minuscule pooch in comparison.

"Katie, I think you might actually reach my shoulder this year! Congratulations on your longitudinal development." Fred shook her hand vigorously and sat down across from Angie.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. Katie had always been the short one, and Fred and George never ceased to point it out.

"That's peachy keen, Katie! We might even be able to make eye contact by the end of the year!" George agreed enthusiastically. He sat down in the empty space across from me by the window.

"And by George! Is it possible that this creature here is our own Charlotte Rose Gallagher?" Fred jokingly covered his eyes, "I'm blinded by your beauty!"

I shook my head and laughed. Then I looked at George, waiting to hear his ridiculous comment too. However, I was surprised when I registered his facial expression- caught off guard and...wait was George checking me out? No, he couldn't be. Not possible. He would never think about me like that. I checked his face again, only to discover the mysterious expression had been replaced by the familiar grin that had been by my side for six years, now seven.

"By Fred...you're right, it is Charlotte!" George slapped his hand on Fred's back.

"So how was your summer?" Katie asked the twins.

"Oh you know, the usual..." George leaned back, folded his hands behind his head and put his feet up on my legs across from him. I slapped his feet and they fell off, but he just put them back on.

"Ickle Ronnikins had his bff Harry over for the end of the summer. We can't tell you exactly what we've been doing, but let's just say, it's going to pay off after we're outta' Hogwarts..." Fred continued, "Bill and Charlie were home for a bit. Then Charlie went back to Romania and Bill's leaving next week for Egypt. George and i have been playing a lot of quidditch, too. We've got new brooms! Cleansweep 98s. They're so much better than our old 87s. Those things were ancient."

"Yeah they were. Oh hey, here comes the trolley!" George finally removed his feet from my lap and opened the compartment door, getting up. I happened to get up at the same time and we got stuck facing each other in the doorway. Angie, Alicia, and Katie were talking quietly behind the _Witch Weekly _magazine. I looked up past George's chest which was at my eye level to his face and was surprised by a second time that day.

"George, you're very tall" I dumbly said, looking into those familiar laughing blue eyes.

He looked down at me and smirked-_smirked!_ George never smirks!

"On the contrary, Miss Charlotte, you're very short. But this pumpkin pastie might bring you up to eye level someday," his breath blew in my face and I was intoxicated by his scent. It was like inhaling the air right after a thunderstorm, when everything is calm and clear, mixed with spicy cinnamon and sweet but subtle vanilla. I snapped out of it when I noticed the girls had stopped talking and everything was quiet.

"I don't need to get any taller- I'm already 5'6"! That's above average for your information," I huffed, not understanding why I was so worked up. George raised his eyebrows and brushed past me with the pumpkin pastie he was holding after he paid the trolley lady. I felt on fire when his hand brushed my arm. _That was weird._

"But I will have a licorice wand, please" I said sweetly to the trolley lady. She looked at me knowingly and I scowled at her.

I sat down and ripped a piece of the candy off savagely with my teeth. _Weirdest train ride ever._

**A/N: Hey you! Yes, I'm talking to you. I'd like to hear what **_**you**_** have to say about the first chapter! :) I know there's not too much to go on, but not everything can happen in the first chapter. Charlotte's personality will be better revealed as the plot progresses. Please tell me what you liked and what can be improved upon! Thanks for your R&R! :D PLEASE REVIEW, FOR THE LOVE OF J.K. ROWLING!**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry it took so long! Thanks for the couple of reviews, and remeember to give me feedback by reviewing when you finish this chapter! :D thanks.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP, only the stuff I came up with.

Chapter Two: Hogwarts at Last

I tried to hold myself back from shoveling all the food I could reach into my mouth at once, but was relatively unsuccessful, particularly when the garlic mashed potatoes appeared in front of me, calling my name with metaphorical noise makers and flashing banners. The Hogwarts beginning of term feast is one of my favorite parts of the year, food-wise. It is a fat girl's dream. Only I have quidditch, a fast metabolism, and an unfortunately small stomach, so I am not breaking the scale anytime soon. However, I have always been told I have the mind of a ten ton dragon, drowning in pleasure every time I can get a parcel of something edible on my taste buds. But besides that, I swear, I'm perfectly normal...mostly. OK...one more little thing... I'm also kind of socially awkward. Of course, my friends say it is cute and not a big deal, but I think it's the reason I'm the only girl in our year who hasn't had a boyfriend before. I think I scare off the male gender- besides Fred and George, of course. Don't get me wrong, I've been on dates (well, only enough to make the word plural). It's just, those guys kinda just never talked to me again afterwords. So yeah...anyway...

"Woah slow down Charlotte, you're going to get a stomach ache!" Katie said jokingly, interrupting me from my thoughts.

I paused with a spoonful of potatoes halfway to my mouth, eyeing the pumpkin pie that just popped up down the table, "Have I ever?"

"No, I guess not," Katie laughed and shook her head.

"First quidditch practice tomorrow!" Angelina said.

"Geez, you guys are already being taken away from me. Oliver is insane" Alicia said (A/N: I needed room for Charlotte on the team, so I had to cut Alicia. Yes. Very sad indeed.)

"I don't think he's that bad. He's just has passion for something he loves," Katie interjected, shrugging.

Alicia raised her eyebrows, "Sounds like you've developed a little crush, Katie."

Katie quickly turned beet red and put on an innocent face, "What? No, no. I would never... It wouldn't be... ugh. never mind. Stop assuming things that aren't true Alicia."

"Whatever. I promise I won't tell," Alicia grinned mischievously, got up and walked towards the great hall doors.

I looked at Katie. She looked uncharacteristically worried. I scooted over closer to her and patted her arm.

"Don't worry, Katie, if it's really important to you, she won't say anything," I tried to comfort her.

Katie looked into my eyes and went back to eating her chicken, "I swear, nothings going on between Oliver and I." She looked like she was telling the truth. Katie wouldn't lie.

"Ok. I believe you. It wouldn't be a big deal if there was anyway, I mean, besides his insanity and obsession with Quidditch, Wood's a nice guy."

"Anyway...speaking of boys, here comes Lee and the twins!" Angie nodded to them.

Fred, George, and Lee walked towards us, Lee winking at several girls at the Ravenclaw table.

"Hello ladies," said Fred.

"Do you girls want to hang out later in the common room?" George asked.

"We've got butterbeer!" Lee cheerfully added wiggling his dark eyebrows.

"Of course. We'll be there in a bit." Angelina nodded, chuckling.

The common room as always was welcoming, warm, and cozy. I spotted the butterbeer on the coffee table, reflecting the flickering flames from the fire. The fire crackled as a charred log could not longer support itself and fell into the hot coals at the bottom of the fireplace. I sat down on the couch where Fred, George, and Lee were sitting, playing exploding snap. Fred let out an elephants trumpet and we all laughed.

"Angie, hand me a butterbeer would you?" I said, grinning.

"Of course, here you go," she handed me a bottle and I cracked it open.

Taking a delectable sip, I sighed contentedly, sinking further into the squishy leather couch. This is the life. I quietly watched as my best friends enjoyed each others company. Occasionally somebody would say or do something outrageous and then everybody else would burst into raucous laughter. The light from the fire made George's eyes twinkle more than usual. Alicia basked in the golden glow and Katie sat on the floor next to her, smiling at something Angelina said. Fred gazed at Angelina unabashedly. After things had been quiet for a while, Katie got up and said that she needed to get to bed if she was going to be ready for classes tomorrow. Angie agreed and followed. Alicia stayed with Fred, Lee, George, and I for a while longer while we talked quidditch, but eventually got bored and left. Fred was distracted by Oliver and was taken away to look at the new quidditch accessory catalog. George, Lee, and I were talking for a while about what the new year would bring. We pondered our last year at Hogwarts silently until Lee finally said he was going to hit the sack. I was getting pretty tired too, but I didn't feel like getting up. Apparently, neither did George.

I sleepily took the last sip from my butterbeer and stared into the fire.

"So what are you planning on doing after we graduate?" George asked me.

"Oh, I don't know..." I tiredly said, "I think I might want to get a job that has its main focus on charms. I like charms. And I'm pretty good at it."

"Yeah you are," he agreed, nodding his handsome head. What?

"I could charm this bottle to float and deliver a message if I wanted to," I continued, kind of slap happy.

"You should send an anonymous love note to Flint," he joked. I laughed.

"Of course, you are going to run a successful jokeshop" I continued.

"That's the plan..." he nodded again and we were quiet for a while longer.

I cuddled into George's side and put my head on his shoulder. He draped his arm comfortably around my shoulders. I felt so at peace. I inhaled and my nose was filled with George's alluring aroma for the second time.

"Are you smelling me, Char?" George chuckled, looking down at me.

"What? You smell good. Am I not allowed to smell you?" I slurred sleepily, closing my eyes and tucking my legs in.

"You can do whatever you want," George said quietly. I was about to fall into the unconscious realm of dreams.

"George?" I said.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't guys like me?" I asked quietly, feeling vulnerable.

He was silent for a second and then answered, "You really have no idea, do you..."

I waited for what he was going to say, but sleep claimed me and I only half heard what George said next.

"We do..."


End file.
